The Ledger
Chapter 04 - The Ledger
Eleanor Harrington didn't understand what Claire meant at first.
"The ledger?"
Claire returned to the jewelry store the next morning with Daniel and Rebecca.
Eleanor led them to the basement archive.
Old accounting books lined the walls.
Twenty-seven years earlier, jewelry stores still recorded many private sales by hand.
After nearly an hour, Eleanor found the year William purchased Margaret's necklace.
The entry seemed ordinary.
Diamond necklace.
Custom setting.
Paid in full.
Then Daniel noticed another entry beneath it.
Same date.
Same customer.
Different item.
Private vault deposit.
Claire frowned.
"What is that?"
Eleanor looked surprised.
"We used to offer secure storage for certain clients."
"What's in it?"
"I don't know."
The vault had been closed years earlier when the store was renovated.
Records showed William never retrieved the item.
Eleanor led them to an old steel safe in a secured storage room.
The deposit number matched.
Inside was a small sealed package.
William Bennett.
Claire stared at her father's name.
Eleanor said legally she couldn't release it without authorization.
Rebecca pointed to another line.
Secondary authorized owner:
Margaret Bennett.
Claire's mother.
Because Margaret was deceased, lawyers would need to determine whether Claire had inheritance rights.
Claire called an attorney.
Her father called again.
And again.
She ignored him.
Then a text arrived.
CLAIRE, DO NOT OPEN ANYTHING AT HARRINGTON'S UNTIL WE TALK.
Claire stared at the message.
She had never told him about the ledger.
Daniel read the text.
"How does he know?"
Claire slowly looked toward Eleanor.
Only four people knew.
Claire.
Daniel.
Rebecca.
Eleanor.
Unless someone had been watching them.
Security footage from the store revealed the answer.
A man had entered the shop thirty minutes after Claire left the previous day.
He never bought anything.
But Eleanor recognized him.
William Bennett.
May you like
Claire's father had come searching for the necklace.
And according to the security camera, he had spent almost ten minutes standing outside the locked basement door.
